President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree today, relieving Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of Prosperous Armenia Party, of his seat in the National Security Council.
Speaking at his Republican Party of Armenia Council meeting, President Sargsyan used unusually harsh words to describe Tsarukyan, often referring to him as “stupid” and “a detriment to Armenian society.”
The President also called on his party members, who comprise the majority in parliament, to launch an investigation into Tsarukyan’s absence from National Assembly sessions, tasked the Prime Minister to launch inquiries into Tsarukyan’s financial dealings and alleged evading of “billions” in taxes and tasked the judicial structures to begin probes into alleged criminal conduct by Tsarukyan, which he said have been “common knowledge” in Armenia.
In explaining his decision to relieve Tsarukyan of his seat in the NSC, Sargsyan said: “The supreme security body of the country is not a movie theater, where one come and go as they please,” adding that Tsarukian’s consistent absence from National Assembly sessions was an affront to his constituents who had entrusted him with that responsibility.
